Microsoft Word - Corey-Toni_Griffin.doc (8 page)

"So what happened to you?" Concern laced Corey's voice and Ethan felt a little lighter knowing his mate cared, if only a little.

"Foster care. I was a little messed up after the accident. I didn't talk for the first six months after they died. I lost count of the number of homes I bounced around in. The longest I ever stayed in one place was two years, but even that came to an end as soon as the Ryans found out they were pregnant."

73

Corey Toni

Griffin

"Fuck."

"Yeah, you could say that again. But anyway, it was a long time ago. I got out the second I turned eighteen and have been doing just fine for the last six years."

"Were any of your foster families shifters?" Corey asked him very quietly. Ethan burst out in laughter.

"Oh hell no. The first time that happened, I nearly shit myself. I was so scared." He grinned at the memory and Corey chuckled softly across from him. "There I was, just another teen going through the same crap that everyone else has to, and then
bam
. My entire world changed in the course of one afternoon as I walked down a back alley on my way home from school. I had been feeling off for most of the day but thought I was just coming down with a cold.

"The naked dash home after I had managed to shift back was just as scary, let me tell you. I'm pretty sure I scared Mrs Winters, the eighty-year-old lady who lived at the end of our street." Corey laughed loudly at this and Ethan smiled.

"I had no clue about any of that world. It wasn't until I moved to another foster home the next year and switched schools that I met another like me. Pierce was a really nice guy. He took me home and introduced me to his parents, who then called their Al… boss."

"Nicely done."

74

Corey Toni

Griffin

"Thanks."

Their second round of drinks had arrived at some point during their talking. Corey sat back and looked at something over Ethan's shoulder. "Food's here, by the looks."

"Great. I'm starving. Those entrees were nice but nowhere near enough."

"I hear ya."

They waited while their server started placing dishes down on the table in front of them. Everything looked and smelled amazing. Ethan couldn't wait to get started.

It took some shuffling around of glasses, plates, and table decorations, but they managed to get the first five dishes on the table.

"Well, this looks delicious," Corey said, as he picked up the rice and offered to serve for Ethan.

"Thank you." Ethan held out his bowl and after a couple of scoops, Corey started to serve himself. Ethan dished up a small amount from every selection on their table until his small bowl was just about to overflow.

He didn't start eating, though, until Corey was ready. Then conversation became stilted as they started to eat. When they had finished off one of the plates, the waiter took it and replaced it with another. They made their way

75

Corey Toni

Griffin

through the food, both of them having fairly large appetites.

They talked about work, Ethan learning that his mate was a whiz with computers. He worked freelance, writing code for different companies for programs and such, and he also did some work on the side for Ben. Ethan could easily see the need of someone with Corey's skills for a person in Ben's position. In turn, Ethan told him what he thought about his job so far and working with Ben every day.

The waiter came back and interrupted their

conversation to clear the last of the empty plates.

Unfortunately, the guy wasn't paying as close attention as he should have been and managed to knock over two of the candles they had moved to the edge of the table to make room for the plates.

One of them fell onto the table and lit up the tablecloth; the other fell to the floor.

"You have
got
to be kidding me," Ethan exclaimed, by the time he managed to push his chair back and reach for the candle. A small patch of the carpet had also been set alight.

Ethan groaned as he picked up the candle and blew it out, then stood and started to stomp out the small fire on the ground. It didn't take much, but it was more than what should have happened. All he'd wanted was to take his

76

Corey Toni

Griffin

mate on a nice romantic date, to try and prove to the man that they really could make a go of things.

What did he get for trying? He sneezed in his mate's face, not just once either. He got smashed in the back of the head with a wine glass, and now the place was going up in flames around them. He just couldn't seem to win, no matter what he did.

Ethan sat once again, just as the manager came racing towards their table. The other patrons had all started to make a ruckus at the fire but Ethan had tuned them out, too busy concentrating on not letting the restaurant burn down. Ethan noticed the charred area on the tablecloth where the fire had got to it and realised Corey must have dealt with that one while he'd been busy.

"Can we get the bill please?" Ethan asked, as soon as she came to a stop beside their table.

Corey arched an eyebrow at him. "What? No dessert?"

"I'll take you through the Macca's drive-through and you can have a cone," Ethan said, more frustrated and disappointed in how this night had turned out.

"I'm not that cheap of a date. I expect at least a caramel sundae—and a large one at that." Ethan couldn't help himself; he chuckled.

"Deal."

77

Corey Toni

Griffin

The manager came back with a black folder and their bill. Ethan noticed it was heavily discounted. It was a nice, and appropriate gesture, but he didn't care by this point.

"You ready to get out of here?" he asked.

"As nice as the food is, I think we should just order take away next time. One of us might end up dead if we attempt this again." Corey seemed to realise what he said as soon as he finished talking. Ethan waited for the man to take his words back or amend them in some way, but he didn't. He wanted to reach over that table so badly and kiss his mate senseless.

"That's a plan I can live with," he said instead, as he stood and watched Corey slip into his jacket. They made their way to the counter and paid the bill. They were offered more apologies before they walked out the door.

"Well that was certainly… different," Corey said, as they walked the short distance to Ethan's car.

"Not exactly what I had in mind, let me tell you,"

Ethan said, laughing. He had to laugh, otherwise he just might break down and cry. "So, dessert?" he asked, as he gathered his composure again.

"I don't know. Do you think it's safe? I mean, a meteor could fall from the sky and crush us in the car as we wait in the drive-through."

78

Corey Toni

Griffin

Ethan just shook his head and got in the car.

"We'll go inside then."

"That could prove to be just as dangerous."

"Life's kinda boring if you don't live it on the edge,"

Ethan stated, as he waggled his brows.

"I'll leave it up to you then. Crushed by a falling meteor or burned to death by a chip fat fire?" Corey laughed and looked at him for his decision.

"That's a hard one. But seeing as how we've already been inside tonight with a fire, I don't think we should tempt fate with a second."

"Falling meteor it is then."

"Sounds good to me." Ethan started the car and they headed off in search of dessert.

79

Corey Toni

Griffin

The pounding on Corey's front door woke him from what was probably the worst night's sleep of his life. After they had left the restaurant, Ethan had, in fact, driven them through the McDonald's drive through and they both had sundaes—his being caramel and Ethan had chocolate.

They parked the car in the car park to sit and eat their ice creams while they talked. Not a single meteor fell from the sky to crash into their car though. Corey had wanted to reach over and touch his mate so badly but had held himself back. He really didn't know if his heart could take another battering like it had received years before.

Even without them having claimed one another, Corey felt protective of the other man already. When that waiter had tripped and smashed a glass into the back of Ethan's head, Corey had wanted to pummel the clumsy man. He could still remember the overwhelming relief he felt when he rushed to Ethan's side and found out the glass hadn't cut him.

Corey had no idea how Ethan had survived growing up without someone there to love him every day and let him know that he was wanted. Even though his own dad had walked out the door, he and Daniel had still had their

80

Corey Toni

Griffin

mother. Corey hated himself for denying Ethan. He knew it couldn't be easy for Ethan to have his mate turn him away, especially after the childhood he'd had. Really, Corey was starting to wonder just how long he would be able to hold out, before he gave into the want and need to have his mate with him.

Ethan had driven him home an hour after they had finished their ice creams. He hadn't gotten out of the car, which Corey had been grateful for.

Corey hadn't been able to help himself though. He'd leaned across the centre divider and kissed Ethan on the cheek. It wasn't what he would have liked, but Corey knew if he'd kissed him properly, he wouldn't have been waking up alone this morning.

"Thank you for a most memorable first date," Corey had said.

Ethan smiled at him in that way that sent butterflies dive-bombing in his stomach.

"I'm sorry it didn't exactly go to plan."

"It was perfect." And Corey meant that. He didn't wait for a reply and had scrambled out of the car before his mate's scent drove him absolutely crazy and he attacked the man.

Corey had showered and stroked off to the

memories of his mate before he crawled into bed and tried

81

Corey Toni

Griffin

to sleep. Sleep, however, was not easy to come by, it would seem. Corey's body was primed and raring to go, even though he'd just orgasmed while he showered. His cock was still hard as a rock, his skin tingled, and he could still smell Ethan's scent, due to the shirt under his pillow and the clothes he had worn on his date.

He tried thinking about something other than Ethan, but it was no use. His mind kept going right back to his mate. His wolf paced restlessly inside him and the only time he seemed to calm down any was when Corey pulled out Ethan's shirt. Doing that, however, seemed to rev up his libido this time, so Corey had found himself stuck in an endless cycle.

He'd finally fallen into an exhausted sleep

somewhere around four that morning.

The pounding on the door sounded louder now and Corey would have rolled over and buried his head beneath his pillows and ignored the knocking if his phone hadn't started ringing at the same time.

He groaned and reached out blindly for it. Finally his fingers encountered the cool glass of the phone, so he picked it up and swiped his finger across the screen, hoping he was pressing in the right place. He must have been successful as the noise shut up—either that or he'd missed the call.

82

Corey Toni

Griffin

When Corey heard his brother's voice yelling down the phone line at him, he groaned again and wished he hadn't answered. He needed more sleep.

"Corey, where the fuck are you? I'm only in town for two days and we had plans to go for a run."

Corey pressed the phone against his ear and said sleepily, "Go away. We're not running until lunch time."

"It
is
lunch time, you jackass. Are you still in bed?"

"It's
what
now?" Corey asked, as he blinked open his eyes reluctantly.

"It's lunch time. And you better get your ass out here quick smart. I'm not missing out on running with my brother because you were out chasing tail 'til all hours of the morning." Daniel definitely sounded annoyed with him.

"I wasn't out chasing tail." Corey tried to defend himself. "Give me a sec and I'll come let you in." Corey hung up the phone, not bothering to say goodbye. After all, his brother was right outside his front door.

Corey threw back the sheets he had been

comfortably sleeping under and reluctantly dragged his ass out of bed. He slipped into a pair of shorts and made his way to the bathroom. Daniel could wait a minute more while he took a leak.

Business finished, Corey went and let his brother in.

Daniel stepped across the threshold and they embraced, as

83

Corey Toni

Griffin

they did just about every time they saw each other. Corey loved his little brother. "Come on. I need some coffee."

Corey closed the door and headed into the kitchen to start the drink brewing. He hoped it woke him up, because he could seriously use the boost.

"So, you going to tell me what's going on if you're looking like death warmed over but you weren't out chasing ass, like usual?"

"If you'd come home last weekend, you would more than likely already know," Corey said, wanting to guilt his brother a little bit.

"Don't even try and pull that shit with me; you know it won't work," Daniel said in that annoying way his little brother had. He was right. He knew Corey too well to get guilted into anything. "I was busy working and that's all there is to it. Do I wish I had been here instead of stuck in Cairns working all weekend? You bet your ass I do. Do I feel bad about not being here? Nope. Now quit stalling and tell me what the hell is up with you."

Corey finished making the coffee and poured his brother a cup, along with one for himself. Daniel had already taken a seat at the table and Corey walked over, placed the cup down in front of him then took his own seat.

He didn't say anything for several minutes, just slowly drank his scalding hot coffee and thought about